Coupling for well-drilling tools.



m. 634,I|4. Patented on. 3, I899. J. F. w. xuauu & P. WOHLFAHRT.COUPLING FOR WELL DRILLING TOOLS.

(Application flld NOV. MI, 1898.)

No Model.)

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p UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOACHIM F. W. KUEHN AND 'PAULWOHLFAHRT, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

' oouPuNc Foe WE LL- -DRILLING TooLs.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of LettersPatent No. 634,114, dated October3, 1899. Application filed NovemberZZ, 1898. .Serial No. 697,188. (Nomodel.)

To all/whom it may concern:

Be it known that weJoAcHIM E. W. KUEHN and PAUL \VOHLFAHRT,citiZens ofthe United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar andState of Texas, have invented a new and useful Coupling for ell-DrillingTools, of which the following is a specification.

-O in" invention relates to couplings for welldrilling tools, andparticularly to a device whereby the thread-box and pin of adrillingtool may be securely connected to prevent detachment and lostmotion d urin g'operation, the object in view being to provide acoupling of which the members may be readily attached and as easilydetached to allow the disconnection of the pin from the thread-box, butwhich when in place serves to prevent independent movement of saidparts, and hence retain them in operative relation.

Further objects and advantages of-this in vention will appear inthefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. i

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a couplingconstructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is alo'ngitudinalsection of the same. Fig.- 3 is a detail view in perspective of one ofthe inner sleeve-sections. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the spring.actuated lock or catch detached.

Similar numerals of reference'indicate cor-v responding parts in all thefigures of the draw ings. A

In the construction illustrated,1 designates a thread-box of theordinary construction, to which is attached a pin 2, each of saidelements, however,.being provided with an'annular channel or. groove 3for the reception of internal ribs a and 5-, formed upon an innor sleeve6, which embrace the contiguous portions of the thread-box and pin andbreaks the joint therebetween, said engaged ribs i into contact with thethread-box and pin from opposite directions. Said sleeve is exteriorlytapered, preferably toward its upper end, the taperterlninating'at itslower end in a shoulder 7,'an'd removably fitted upon the sleeve is anexterior sheath 8, having a tapered bore to fit the tapered exteriorsurface of the sleeve and adapted to rest at its lower edge upon theshoulder or stop 7. Obviously when the sheath is fitted upon thesectional sleeve the parts of the latter are held in their operativepositions with relation to the inclosed portions of the threadbox andpin,and.by providing means for preventing the axial displacement'of saidsheath it is possible to produce a coupling adapted to prevent theaccidental disconnection of the pin from the thread-box. In theconstruction illustrated the form of lock or catch employed formaintaining the sheath in place consists of a button or head 9,yieldingly held in position to engage a' shoulder 10 on the sleeve, saidshoulderbeing contin uous throughout the two sections or member-s ot thesleeve and being formed at 1 the upper end of a reduced portion of thesleeve, whereby when the button or head is in its-normal position itoccupies a position near the surface of the reduced portion ofthesleevaand hence the shoulder 10 is in the path of the button or headto resist an axial movement of the sheath. Also the bution or head 9' isyieldinglyheld in its normalor engagingposition-bymeans of a flat spring11, secured in agroove 11 in the inner surface of the sheath,and henceremovable therewith, and the button is disposed in alinement with andpreferably. projecting slightly into an access-opening 12, which extendsfrom the inner surface of the sheath to its-outer surface. The button isprovided with aloop or finger-hold 13, whereby it may be grasped to drawthe button outwardly in opposition to the tension of the spring 11 todisengage it from the shoulder 10, and thus allow the removal of thesheath and the separation of the sleeve sections or members.

It is obvious that after placing the sleevesections in operativerelation with the drill members the sheath may be slippedaxially intoplace and locked by the automatic inward movement of the button and thatwhen it is desired to disengage the ,drill members it is necessarysimplyto draw out the button manually, move the sheath axiallyin the oppositedirection, and displace the sleeve-sections;

Various changes in the form, proportion,

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of-the advantages of the invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is- 1. The combinationwith zmially-alinedv drill members coupled together by the ordinaryeXteriorly-threaded pin and the interiorly-threaded box, an-aunulargroove 3 provided on each of the members, a sectional sleeve providedwith interior ribs 4 and 5 to the sleeve-sections contiguous to theirlower ends for limiting the downward movement of the sheath withrelationthereto, and locking devices carried by the sheath for engaging ashoulder of the sleeve to prevent upward dis placement of the sheath,substantially as specified.

3. The combination with axially alined drill members, of a sectionalsleeve embracing the contiguous ends of said drill members and having aninterlocking connection therewith, said sleeve-sections being providedwith an annular shoulder, a sheath fitted eXteriorly upon the sleeve andprovided in its wall with an opening, and a spring-actuated buttoncarried by the sheath in alinement with said opening, and provided witha finger-hold accessible therethrough, said button being adapted forengagement with the said shoulder of the sleeve-sections, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOAGI-IIM F. V. KUEIIN. PAUL VVOHLFAHRT. \Vitnesses:

CHARLES COHEN, MONROE ADLER.

